One in five children under 16 now own a smartphone

The desirability of smartphone devices is obvious to everyone, but new research shows that the younger generation are also craving the devices

A fifth of all children aged 16 and under now own a smartphone, with 9 per cent of parents buying their child a device so that they wouldn't be bullied at school for not having one, a new study has found.

The findings are taken from a survey which polled 1,876 parents across the UK, and show how desirable owing a smartphone device has become, even amongst the younger generation. Of the tech savvy kids that used smartphones, 43 per cent owned Android devices, 29 per cent used an iPhone and 11 per cent owned a BlackBerry

And it appears that it's not just older ones using the devices, with the research revealing that out of those children owning smartphones, 16 per cent were aged 8-10 and 29 per cent were aged 11-13 years.

Parents also seem to be happy to foot the cost of their childs's phone, with two thirds of those surveyed saying their child paid no money towards the item.

Commenting on the survey results, Mark Owen, Managing Director of GoodMobilePhones.co.uk who conducted the survey, said: “Smartphones are valuable items and can often attract unwanted attention, and also make access to the internet easy, which may not be suitable for younger children. Making sure correct privacy controls are in place should help this, so parents should ensure they are vigilante to make sure their child’s Smartphone is safe in their hands.”

Would you buy a smartphone for your child? Let us know on our Facebook and Twitter pages.